Screen for automobile radiators



Nov. 18, 1941. R. B, HANsoN SCREEN FOR AUTOMQBILE RADIAToRs- Filedy Jari- 51., 1941 lulu: nun uhu. IH

ll HM CARS sPEclFlEo Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED4 STATES `PATENT OFFICE SCREEN FOR AUTOMOBILE. RADIATORS Reuben B. Hanson, Fargo, N. Dak.

Application January 31, 1941, Serial No. 376,909

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a screen for automobile radiators.

An object of the invention is the provision of a screen which is simple in construction and which can be easily applied to the radiator of various types of automobiles, provision being made for folding the screen along a definite line lengthwise with indications on the screen for predetermining the fold of the screen for the various makes of cars.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and eicient screen which may be readily applied to the radiator of an automobile with indications on the screen for determining a fold to be made along one edge of the screen so that the screen can be made to conform to the predetermined width of any one of a plurality of makes of cars.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and eflicient screen for radiators of automobiles formed of flexible material so that it may be readily bent around the front of the radiator and folded along the side edge when necessary to conform to the Width of various types of automobiles, said screen having a L tag thereon with indications for making the folds for various types of automobiles and forming a reinforcing means on the screen with means for connecting straps to the screen so that the screen may be secured in place on the grille or radiator.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification nevertheless, it is to be understood that'the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modificationsA as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view in elevation of a screen constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a portion along one edge folded so that it will lita radiator of a reduced width.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of one corner of the bottom of the screen showing the bottom of the screen being folded to conform to the height of a radiator or grille of an automobile.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of the screen having studs secured to the screen and a tag for indicating various degrees of folding and forming a reinforcing means for the screen where the studs are secured.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a lower corner of the screen showing a tag with indications thereon for folding the screen lengthwise for shortening the same.

Figure 6r is a view in perspective of a strap having a socket of a separable fastener adapted to engage the studs shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of a modified form of the screen` in which eyelets are employed instead of the separable fastener shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I0 designates a sheet of wire screen which is adapted to be placed over the radiator or grille of an automobile which will stop bugs, butteries and other insects from clogging the cells of the radiator during the travel of an automobile on a roadway. The screen is preferablymade of metal fabric, although it may be made of other types of material suitable for the purpose and which may beV bent, as desired, so that the screen will t various makes of automobiles.

The screen is reinforced along Vertical lines as shown at I I, and this reinforcement serves another purpose which will be presently described. The periphery of the screen is reinforced by a U-shaped hem or border I2 which is U-shaped in cross section and which receives the edge of the screen. Whatever the material of which the border is made, it must be flexible so that it can also be bent when the screen is bent. The border may be made of ber, leather, metal, or some composition of material which can be painted on one or both sides with a coating of paint, preferably of the type which will give the appearance of metal, although the paint employed may be of any other color, which may be required to conform to the color combination of the enamel applied to the surface of the automobile. The border is either stitched or secured in any approved manner to the edges of the wire fabric forming the screen per se.

Adjacent the upper end and in one corner is secured a tag, generally designated by the numeral i5', which may be formed of cardboard, fabric or a thin sheet of metal. This tag is preferably secured at its top edge by the stitching I@ and along one end by said stitching which secures the border I 2 to the wire fabric Il). However, the tag may be secured to the fabric I0 independently of the stitching I6. This tag performs a double function in that it has direction lines I 1, I 8, I9 and 20 whereby the screen I0 may be folded longitudinally along one side edge 2| and parallel to said edge so that the Width of the screen may be reduced to compensate for various Widths of the radiators or grilles of various makes of automobiles. The full width of the screen may be employed in certain types of automobiles, while it may be necessary to fold the screen vertically along the indicating lines II, I8, I9 and 20. To one side of each of these lines is a list of cars and the years in which the cars are manufactured so that when the screen is applied to the automobile the owner of the car can determine from the tag where his car is listed and what fold should be made.

Since these folds are made along vertical lines parallel to the edge 2| of the screen the vertically disposed reinforcing portions II of the screen Will act as a guide for the proper folding of the edge of the screen along a vertical line. This tag is sufciently complete with instructions that any one not skilled in mechanics may follow the instructions and apply the screen.

A tag Ia may also be secured in any approved manner to the screen along a vertical line and close to the edge 2l of the screen so that when it is necessary to compensate for various heights of the radiators of automobiles the bottom portion of the screen may be folded inwardly as shown at 25 in Fig. 3. This tag is also provided with instructions and arrows 26 indicate the places where the folds should be made, and adjacent each arrow is a list of the cars and the dates of manufacture so that the person applying the screen can determine from the indicia which fold should be made. The folds in this case are made parallel to the bottom 2'I of the screen.

A stud 30 of a separable fastener of the usual -type is secured to the screen adjacent each of the lines I'I to 20, inclusive. Since these studs are applied to the screen and also to the tag, the tag acts as a reinforcement for the screen to prevent the studs from being readily torn from the fabric of the screen. Thus, it will be seen that the tag performs a double function in that it not only gives instructions for folding the screen when necessary, but also reinforces the screen where the studs have been applied to said screen.

A stud 3l is applied to the upper left hand corner of the screen and adjacent the edge 32 of the screen. A strip of material, similar to the tag, may be applied to the screen for reinforcement where the stud 3| is secured in position.

A pair of straps 33 and 34 are used at the upper ends of the screen for securing the screen in position. These straps are formed of any suitable material such as composition, leather or fabric, and one end of the strap is folded upon itself, as shown at 35, for reinforcing the end of the strap where a shocket 36 is applied t0 a perforation in the strap. This socket forms the other member of the separable fastener which is well known in the art.

A strap 34 may be secured to the screen l0 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as a permanent xture, if desired. The socket of the strap 33 is applied to one of the studs 30 after it has been determined what folds should be made from the type of car and the date of manufacture. The

fold, of course, is determined by inspecting the data on the tag I5.

If the fold is to be made along the line I9, as shown in Fig. 2, the entire length of the screen along the line I9 guided by the reinforcement II adjacent to said line is folded. The socket 36 is then applied to the stud 30 at this point. The straps are then threaded through and around a convenient portion of the radiator or grille and then tied together.

If it is necessary to fold the bottom portion, as shown in Fig. 3, this will be done to make a neat t of the screen on the radiator or grille of the automobile.

From the above it will be seen that the tag performs a double function in that it indicates where the folds should be made in accordance with the type of automobile, and it also forms a reinforcement for the base portions of the studs 30.

The portions Il of the screen I0 also perform a double function in that they reinforce the screen I0 lengthwise and also act as indicators for guiding the party applying the screen when the fold is being made.

Referring more particularly to Fig. '7, it will be seen that a slightly modified form of the fastening means is employed, and in this case eyelets 40 are secured to the screen and through the tag I5, and in this type of device the strap is either tied after having one end inserted through the eyelet, or the strap may be secured by the eyelet 40a to the screen and then threaded through one of the other eyelets where the fold is made. On the other hand, the strap, shown in Fig. 6, may be employed with the socket 36 secured thereto at one end so that when the strap 33 is threaded through an eyelet the socket would form a suicient enlargement t0 prevent the strap from being pulled entirely through the eyelet where the fold is being made.

I claim:

A protective screen for automobile radiators comprising a flexible perforate sheet of material, a reinforcing strip of material secured to one corner of the sheet and provided with means for indicating fold lines for the sheet, said indicating means including spaced studs connected to the sheet and reinforcing strip, said strip serving to prevent displacement of the studs from the perforate sheet, portions of said screen being foldable upon itself along longitudinal lines to reduce the width thereof to compensate for variations in the widths of radiators of different types of automobiles, said folds adapted to lie between the body of the screen and the radiator, each of the studs being located at a point where the screen is adapted to be bent, a strap having a socket adapted to be connected to that one of the studs where the folding line is provided, a second strap, and means removably connecting the second strap to the screen in spaced relation with the reinforcing strip, the ends of the straps adapted to be connected together for not only supporting the screen on the radiator but for maintaining the folded portion in contact with the radiator.

REUBEN B HANSON. 

